Telephones in a telephony network are replaced periodically. Typically this involves replacement of at least a substantial proportion of the telephones in the telephony network. Often all of the telephones in the telephony network are replaced and perhaps on a phased basis.
Known approaches to replacing telephones in a telephony network usually involve collecting MAC addresses for the telephones to be replaced, sending of specific replacement telephones to specific users, the presence of an engineer at each location where a telephone is being replaced and manipulating and importing files to the telephony network communications manager.
A telephony network may comprise from a modest number of telephones to a considerable number of telephones of the order of hundreds of telephones and sometimes more. Replacing telephones in a large telephony network therefore typically requires considerable planning, time and effort. However planning, time and effort is still required even in a telephony network comprising a modest number of telephones, in particular where the telephony network is distributed over plural sites.
The present inventors have become appreciative of the planning, time and effort involved in replacing telephones in a telephony network. The present invention has been devised in light of this appreciation. It is therefore an object for the present invention to provide an improved method of replacing telephony apparatus in a telephony network comprising plural telephony apparatus and in particular replacing each of plural telephony apparatus in the telephony network. It is a further object for the present invention to provide a telephony network comprising plural telephony apparatus configured for replacement of telephony apparatus and in particular for replacement of each of plural telephony apparatus in the telephony network.